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Y W,- H. HOWARD. OHEUK 0R SIMILARINSTRUMENT.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- (No Model.)

Patented Mar. 1, 1898.

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(No Model.)

W H HOWARD I CHEGK OR SIMILAR INSTRUMENT.

No. 599,842. Patented Mar. 1,1898.

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xkikii N ATORNEY a UNITED STATES PATENT Pr on.

WVILLIAM HENRY HOWARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEONARD W. SWEET AND ELI P. ELLSWORTH, OF SAME PLACE.

CHECK OR SIMILAR INSTRUMENT.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,842, dated March 1, 1898. Application filed July 13, 1897. Serial No. 644,466- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: values. The check described and claimed in Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY HoW- said application has a diagram lying within ARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at the area of the check and composed of two New York, in the county and State of New correspondingparts, eachformed by lines and 55 York, have invented certain new and useful intervening spaces radiating from a common Improvements in Checks or other Similar Inpoint and each of said parts being in the struments, of which the following is a specifiform of a triangle so arranged with respect cation. 5 to one another that in order to designate the Myinvention relates to a system of negotidesired value the diagram may be severed 6o [O able instruments formed and designed in such along intersecting lines running through both a manner as to prevent fraud oralteration of parts of the diagram and at an angle to each an original instrument or issue, adapting the other. same to certain specified limitations and In Fig. 1 I show a check which may be used amounts, said limitations and amounts runfor amounts ranging from one dollar or less 65 r 5 ning in series, each series having its own into ninety-nine dollars. This series I desigsignia or earmark whereby it can be readily nate Series A. and instantly recognized as an instrument In-Fig. 2 I show a check usable for amounts whose money value is within certain prederanging from one hundred dollars to nine termined limitations. hundred and ninety dollars. This series I 70 In carrying out my invention I prefer to designate as Series B.

employ, and I have so shown in the accom- I11 Fig. 8 1 have illustratedSeries O,rangpanyin g drawings, which form a part of this ing-from one thousand dollars to nine thouspecification and to which I shall specifically sand and nine hundred dollars, and in Fig. refer, a series of four different forms to ac- 4 Ihave illustrated Series D, ranging from 75 cominodate my system to United States monten thousand dollars to ninety-nine thousand eys and values, although in this respect my dollars. invention may lend itself to other methods One means of distinguishing the different and values,-and I do not limit myself to the numbers of the series one from the otheris the exact means and devices shown, my idea and employment of the letters A B O D, each 80 system being 'the securing of a series, each letter distinguishing the limitation of the member of the series lying within certain precheck, without specifying its exact amount; determined limits of value and each member but the more exact distinguishing feature is also lendingitself to means for fixing its exby means of the radiating lines L shown at actvalue with certain possible and slight vathe left-hand end of the check andwithin 8 riations therefrom, and also beingformed in the check proper. In Series A these rasuch a manner that what is known in the diating lines L radiate from a point P. In commercial world as raising the value of the form of Series A these lines have a an instrumentis rendered absolutely imposbase-line S at right angles to the longer edges sible. or length of the check. In Series B the 90 0 Referring to the accompanying drawings, base-line S runs from the lower edge of the Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 show aseries of checks check in such position as to make the lower embodying my present invention. left-hand corner of the check an obtuse angle In an application filed by me on June 15, and from the upper edge of the check in such 1897, Serial No. 640,816, I have shown and position as to make the upper left-hand cor- 5 described a bank-check such as is illustrated ner of the check an acute angle, which posiin present Fig. l, and in said application I tions are reversed in Series C. In Series have claimed the specific structure'of the in- D thebase-line S is bent at the point P and dividual check, and in my present application is arranged at an acute angle at both the up- I illustrate the variations of said invention per and lower edges of the check. By this'xoo which may be employed in the system or semeans the drawer of a check or draft or other ries so as to accommodate or embrace larger instrument can, by employing such a series,

easily determine which of the forms to use according to the amount for which the instrument is to be drawn or made.

In the application above referred to Ihave explained specifically the method of using this particular kind of check or draft, and my present application is only an enlargement and expansion of the idea therein shown and claimed-that is to say, I have applied the invention in such a manner that it can be used in a series.

It will be seen that these checks have the same advantages as the check above referred to in that the non-raisable-value-designating feature runs into the body of the instrument proper and that therefore the value-marks cannot be removed without such a mutilation of the check as would render it plainly valueless.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A series of checks or similar orders each having a diagram lying within the area of the check and composed of two corresponding parts formed of lines and intervening spaces which radiate from a common point, whereby in order to denote value, the diagram may be severed along two intersecting lines; the parts of the diagram being in the forms of triangles having base-lines S, and said baselines varying in positions in the respective forms of the series, in substantially the manner explained and for the purpose set forth.

lVILLIAM HENRY HOlVARD.

\Vitnesses:

J. GREEN, M. V. BIDGOOD. 

